Appliances are known for dispensing shaved ice, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,718,610, 4,745,773, 5,513,810 and 5,680,771. In such devices, the ice is shaved by pressing the ice against a blade oriented at a small angle relative to the ice. The ice may be moved relative to a stationary blade, or the blade may be moved relative to a stationary cube of ice. A refrigeration appliance incorporating an ice shaving mechanism is disclosed in published U.S. Patent Application 2006/0207270.
When ice is shaved, the ice shavings have a tendency to fan out from the edges of the blade, resulting in a broad, but thin, layer of ice. In countertop units, this fanning out is not a large problem because the shavings go directly from the blade to a cup or other container. However, in a refrigeration appliance, where the shavings leave the blade area and travel through an ice chute, the spreading out of the shavings results in a build-up of residual ice on the chute walls. This residual ice can cause clogging and decreased output after prolonged shaving. Also, this residual ice eventually melts, causing water to escape from the chute and collect in the drip tray. The dripping can be a cause for alarm for the user, resulting in unnecessary service calls to “fix the leak” in the dispenser.
It would be an improvement in the art if there were provided an ice shaving mechanism which prevents the fanning out of the shaved ice downstream of the ice shaving blade.